Football. Fiji “could get to the World Cup semi-finals”, according to an international referee

Tickets for the 2023 World Cup are on sale this Tuesday for the 2023 family and starting Thursday for the general public. The last four matches where we have been able to find a Fiji team, according to New Zealand international referee Ben O’Keefe. guest on show Separation From pay-TV SkySport New Zealand, he believes the Fijian Drua merger into Super Rugby offers a golden opportunity to see the Flying Fijians go far in 2023.

The main argument put forward by the latter is the possibility of using installed players immediately, and not, as is currently the case, having to form a dispersed team in various European leagues. “They always struggled with players based abroad, which caused the international window problems. When they’re in really good shape, their taste is hard to stop“.

Video. The historical Fijian Dora Hakka marks the beginning of Pacific Super Rugby

Fijian Drua’s start in Super Rugby is already very promising. Already with a win over the Melbourne Rebels, and a narrow defeat in Brisbane against the Queensland Reds, the team coached by former All Blacks and Wallaby assistant Mick Byrne has shown their resilience in the competition. Former All Blacks winger John Kirwan also noted that this team was not yet aware of what it could achieve.

Teammate Jeff Wilson, a former three-quarters of the All Blacks in the late 1990s and early 2000s, argues that introducing Drua will allow them to “Understand what is required to level up, and play several styles of rugbyWith a solid base and the addition of stars playing in Europe, this Fiji team can already claim to do very well in the upcoming World Cup. Placed in Group D with Australia and Country Wales in particular, qualification to the quarter-finals would be very small but not from impossible to achieve.

Video. Big Rugby. Drua Fiji defeats the rebels and is a historic success!

Finally, John Kirwan believes that Fijians should maintain their style of play.

Don’t play like other teams! I don’t want to see them change their game! Everything they do from 22 metres puts their opponents under pressure because they are so unpredictable.

It would be really dangerous to see this team coordinate themselves to be able to compete in the short term against Australian franchises and especially New Zealand. But the encouraging first results show that this team will continue down this path to bring more craziness to Super Rugby.